Happy July!
When I say summer flew by, it really went and FLEW BY. School has started (I teach at a modified year-round school, so we do start in July), summer is over, and somewhere in there, Disability Pride Month meant my fibromyalgia thought it was a great time to act up more than normal.
What Have I Been Up To In July?
July was spent editing, editing, and even more editing. I got up, I started editing, I ate lunch, continued editing, ate dinner, maybe played a video game…or maybe did more editing. As exhausting as it sounds, I also discovered the game Tiny Bookshop and ended up beating the main quest in three days, so I still made sure I had plenty of time for rest and relaxation.
Summer break is also officially over! I’m back to the full-time job as a teacher. I have a fantastic batch of students this year, and I am excited to start the school year! Don’t expect me to talk about them at all past being vague – this is an author newsletter after all!
I Love You, It’s Ruining My Life Updates:
LOOK AT THIS ABSOLUTE BEAUTY OF A BOOK COVER!!!
Sun Lit Book Covers & Formatting is an INCREDIBLE cover designer, and the cover shows off the vibes of the book so well! Nalini and Kameron are so close to my heart, and I can’t wait for everyone to meet them.
Which…if you’d like to meet them early, ARC sign-ups are still open – but they are CLOSING TODAY! This is because I am sending them out EARLY MONDAY MORNING! So, if you’re interested in reading the book early, feel free to sign up using THIS FORM! But remember, it is closing TODAY, July 25th!
In addition, I’ve partnered with Imaginary Adventures Bookstore for a preorder on SIGNED COPIES. If you’re planning on preordering the book, I highly recommend your preorder goes through the store! I adore Eliza and want to keep this partnership going, so please support the store the same way you’ve supported me!
Sidekicks: Audiobook News!
People have been asking, and asking, and ASKING for Sidekicks to be an audiobook. One of my biggest goals for this year was to get an audiobook in production for Sidekicks, and I am SO EXCITED to announce that IT IS HAPPENING. The amazing Adair Reese did a snippet of the book for Human Voices Only, and I loved it so much I knew she was the perfect narrator for Nikki and her continued story (yes, this means once I have Sidekicks 2 and 3 done, they will also get audiobooks with Adair!!) It goes into production in November, so I am looking at a January 2027 release date for the audiobook!
Now this is still lowkey a secret, but as a newsletter subscriber you get access to this news early! I am so excited to make Sidekicks more accessible, and I can’t wait to hear the finished result!
Juliet Pictures of the Month
Juliet has fully settled in two months after being adopted, and baby girl is CHAOS INCARNATE. I say this with love. She is full of energy, drama, and spite, and I love her to pieces. She’s had some adjusting to do with me going back to work (she hates it, thanks), but her favorite time of day is when Mommy comes home, and we get to play fetch.
Book I Loved This Month:
😦
I was so busy editing this month, I ended up not reading anything. Honestly, I hate this for me, BUT it allowed me to really focus on getting I Love You, It’s Ruining My Life to where it needed to be
Book Spotlight: I Love You, It’s Ruining My Life
Yes, I’m talking about it again! It’s my newsletter, and I do what I want 🤣🤣🤣
Nalini
Fifteen years ago, Nalini Rana became an infamous media sensation overnight when RaineFall’s breakout hit was named after her. Known for breaking Jack Raine’s heart, she was demonized by the tabloids and fangirls alike, while she wished her best friend (and Jack’s twin) Kameron would use his newfound fame to make the craziness stop. Instead, he ghosted her, leaving her alone as she gave up her dreams one by one in the name of safety.
Now, Nalini’s a burned-out high school teacher doing her best to hide from her past. Which has gotten a lot harder now that Kameron Raine has moved back to town, complete with his stupid smile and an adorable daughter Nalini can’t help but love.
Kameron
Fifteen years ago, Kameron left the sleepy town of Briar Hill behind for bigger and better things. As one-third of the boyband RaineFall, fame literally came overnight when the performance of their song “Nalini” went viral. But his new fame came with a choice: his best friend or his twin brother — and while family bonds were supposed to win out, it was something he immediately regretted.
Now, Kameron’s widowed, bandless, and in need of a fresh start. Moving back to Briar Hill seemed like the most logical (and budget-friendly) solution, though his daughter Cassidy would disagree. But coming back home came with more animosity than he expected, especially from Nalini, who he had thought moved on to bigger and better things than this small town.
As the two of them are forced to confront what happened years ago, surprising sparks start to fly, forcing them to ask the question: Is it possible RaineFall not only ruined their lives, but also ruined their future?
Sign Up for ARC Reading (CLOSING TODAY!)
Preorder from Imaginary Adventures Bookshop (SIGNED COPIES)
Preorder from Amazon (EBOOK ONLY)
Upcoming Events:
Books In Bloom
- Hosted by Desert Bloom Books
- August 29th from 10 AM – 2 PM at the Red Mountain Ranch Country Club
- Free to the Public
Once Upon a Carnival
- Hosted by Not Your Average Bookclub
- November 5th at the Arizona Athletic Grounds, Mesa, AZ
- Tickets on sale soon!
Snowed In
- Hosted by Tea & Tropes
- December 4th and 5th at the Mesa Convention Center, Mesa AZ
- It’s on my Birthday!!!!!
- Tickets on Sale!
Sloth Fact of the Month:
From the moment they are born, sloths can lift their entire body weight upwards with just one arm. Not only that, but sloths have 30% less muscle mass than similarly sized mammals and are over three times stronger than the average human!
August is going to be full of preorder goodies – I’ll be dropping some preorder incentives over on my social media. If you haven’t followed my Instagram…you may want to start!
XOXO ~ Ash
Ashley Skolrud 
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